In My Dreams
by lil-hermione-at-heart
Summary: Listen to Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood Harry has defeated Voldemort but that doesn't mean everything is over. He's been chased and cursed and almost defeated several times in the year since Voldemort's death. Now, living in the United States and serving in the Marine Corp. and a past behind, Harry is trying to start over. But is he sure he has left everything behind?


**Chapter One- Just A Dream**

He wanted to fight, but not with magic, not anymore. After years of fleeing the wrath of Voldemort's escaped followers as an Auror, Harry Potter had moved to the States in an attempt to escape from the life he had led in England. He moved to a small town in North Carolina, building a new life.

Yes, he missed those he left behind more than anything but he hated his life there more. It took him days to prepare to tell the Weasley's and weeks to tell his best friend Ron, and the girl he secretly loved Hermione.

But now he was an American citizen and part of the United States Marine Core. True, he didn't travel as much as a majority of the marines he knew, but he still liked it. He got his missions here and there in a few three month deployments he'd had but for the most part, he stayed on the naval base. He had taken a post in strategic planning. He was happy being able to go home every night and wake up in a bed and not a cot every morning.

Before he even thought about leaving, he had loved Hermione. Hell, he'd loved her since second year at Hogwarts when he saw her lying on the hospital bed, petrified. Of course he hadn't known at the time what the butterfly feeling in his stomach meant but when he saw her coming down the stairs in that gorgeous dress for the Yule Ball, his heart was pounding so loud he couldn't hear anything else.

He pounded his fist on the desk, barely missing the computer, as memories flashed through his mind's eye. Of all the times he'd told himself not to think about what was in the past and move on, it never seemed to work. He still constantly thought about the times he'd battled Voldemort with his friends throughout his years at Hogwarts, the countless Quidditch games he had won, the times he'd torn apart the late headmaster Dumbledore's study because he was so enraged. Now all he had left to show for it was him taking the coward's way out and running away.

Hermione was lying in her bed, the night still shining through her bedroom window. She glanced at the clock, 12:01. Today marked two years since Harry had left; two years since she'd seen the man so loved.

Her nights we constantly filled with dreams and nightmares of her past with Harry. Sometimes she missed him so much that she felt like she was missing a part of herself.

She knew where Harry was and what he was doing but she could never bring herself to go to him. Partly because she was so angry that he would just up and leave everything he had known and leave the people that loved him but also, partly because she didn't want to know what he'd say when she found him. She was scared that he'd just say "Go home Hermione, I'm happy here" because she'd have no choice but to leave.

She rolled back over, hoping to get some sleep and praying that tonight the nightmares would stay at bay.

But neither let her be.

**It was two weeks after the day she turned 18  
All dressed in white, going to the church that night  
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat,  
Six pence in her shoe something borrowed something blue**

She dreamed she was dressed in white, standing behind a pair of double doors of oak. Music was playing from the other side as Ginny preceded her down the long while train of fabric laced with yellow rose petals.

Her heart stared beating rapidly as the music changed to the wedding march and people rose to their feet. The doors swung open and Hermione's eyes stared straight ahead as her feet led her.

There, at the end of the long aisle, was Harry, in his military suit, Ron by his side. But the more she focused on him, the blurrier he got. By the time she reached the end of the aisle, Harry was no long there. Tears were falling madly from her eyes as the bouquet of flowers fell from her hands.**  
**

**And when the church doors opened up wide**

**She put her veil down trying to hide the tears**

**She just couldn't believe it  
She heard the trumpets from the military band**

**The flowers fell out of her hands**

Another man in a military uniform appeared behind her with a letter in his hand. She turned around, pulling the veil over her face, hiding the tears and running mascara.

As he handed her the letter, he said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Potter." Then turned around to leave, and disappeared.

Her shaking hands fumbled with the letter as she tried to open it. As she pulled out the piece of paper with the Marine symbol on the top, more tears fell as she collapsed to her knees.

**Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream  
**

As she read the note, informing her of Harry's passing, the scene around her slowly changed. The people's bright colored clothes slowly changed to a deep black, along with the preacher's robes. The flowers disappeared and the table with the candles in front of the alter shifted to a stand holding a casket. Her long white dress changed to a short plain black dress as the veil disappeared all together. The walls of the church slowly deteriorated and the cloud-covered sky appeared above them.

Hermione stood, realizing and taking in the changes. She pulled the clip out of her hair and let her brown curls fall around her face and she walked towards the wooden box that now held the love of her life.

**The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray  
Lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt  
Then the congregation all stood up and sang **

**The saddest song that she ever heard  
**

Tears still falling, she gripped the side of the casket and let her head fall onto Harry's chest, begging to hear the faintest sound of a heartbeat; but none came. Tears poured from her eyes, staining his uniform.

A hand gripped her shoulder, pulling her back a bit. When she turned her head, she was met with cold blue eyes and a mop of orange-red hair.

She through her arms around Ron's neck, letting herself to attempt to be comforted by her best friend. The pews were filled with family, friends, and even some people she didn't know nor recognize.

A Marine that was standing by the end of Harry's casket walked up to Hermione and his face of expressionless stone faltered. She turned to him, trying to pull on the strongest face she could. She quietly accepted the folded flag and nodded and the Marine said, "Your fiancée was a great man and an excellent Marine. There are many battles and wars we would not have made through if it weren't for him. You should feel honored to know him as well."

**Then they handed her a folded up flag and  
She held on to all she had left of him**

**And what could've been  
And then guns rang one last shot and it felt like a bullet in her heart**

As the Marines fired one final shot and slowly marched away, Hermione broke again and fell against Ron. People slowly walked up to the casket to give one final goodbye then, either patting Hermione on the back or just letting her be, left.

She eyes shot open, stinging. Her head was now pounding in beat with her heart as she cried. She curled herself into a ball and shoved her face into her pillow, letting the tears fall freely.

She almost didn't even react when she felt the side of her mattress sink. But as a pair of strong arms pulled her to a warm chest, her eyes opened to meet a pair of emerald green ones. Her small fists filled themselves with handfuls of his t-shirt as she crawled into his lap, letting his indulge her in his arms, rocking slowly.

"I thought you'd never come back," she muttered as the tears slowed and her breathing evened.

"Neither did I."

Taking in a deep breath, she slowly lifted her head, again being met by those blazing emerald eyes and the thin pink lips, curled into a smile. As her eyes settled on his smile, a small one of her own made its way across her lips.

He hugged her tightly as if to never let her go again.

**Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream  
**


End file.
